The Trades Show

Briana Ottoboni
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Arts
  • Updated Biweekly

The Trades Show with Briana Ottoboni is an interview series with modern artisans, on location inside their workshops. Each season is anchored in a city. Season 2 is filmed in San Francisco — the global epicenter of artificial intelligence, and quietly, one of the most vibrant craft communities in the country. On this season, you'll meet artisans from bladesmiths to chefs to surfboard craftsmen.

  1. 6d ago

    15. THE LAST PLASTER SHOP: Ornamental Plasterer Lorna Kollmeyer on preserving Victorian San Francisco, the business of a rare trade, and becoming a living archive

    In this episode of The Trades Show, host Briana Ottoboni sits down with Lorna Kollmeyer, a sculptor, mold maker, and caster of ornamental plaster who owns the last plaster shop in San Francisco, inside her studio at the Hunters Point Shipyard. Their conversation traces how the whole trade fell into Lorna's lap — from a young basketball star who landed in San Francisco in her early twenties with no plan, enchanted by a city where no two Victorians looked alike, to the couple restoring Victorian flats who taught her to strip originals and pour her own molds, to the day someone asked if she wanted to buy a plaster business and she answered, "No, but I'll ask my friends," before buying it herself. Lorna walks through the Majestic Hotel — her very first job, a corner building of mermaids and egg-and-dart she bid at twenty thousand dollars when the next bid came in at fifty-six, learning sculpture from her girlfriends as they went — and into what ornamental plaster actually is: the ceiling medallions, corbels, and crown moldings that make San Francisco's architecture its own quirky self. She opens up the process, from stripping a paint-caked original to laying rubber and building a mother mold, and the archive it has become — thousands of pieces brought in by homeowners who cared enough to save them, a living library she calls the city's collection, not her own. She's candid about the edges of the work — the ultra-wealthy gut-jobs that hollow out a Victorian's interior, the plaster shops that closed as commercial rents climbed, the fight to keep her shop and the Shipyard's artist community from being knocked down for condos — and where the craft is going as 3D scanning saves a three-month sculpting job and a new generation of thirty-somethings tells her they're starving for things not spat out by a machine. Whether you're a maker, a restorer, or someone who has ever lovedan old house, this episode is a masterclass in learning on the job, building a business that outlasts you, and becoming the custodian of a city's history. The Trades Show is an interview series on location with modern artisans exploring what it means to be human: the ability to create with our hands. 🏛️ Where to find Lorna Kollmeyer: Website: https://www.lornakollmeyer.com/ Instagram: @lornakollmeyer ⚒️ Where to find The Trades Show: Instagram: @tradesshow TikTok: @tradesshow YouTube: @tradesshow Substack: Trade Secrets Website: https://www.thetradesshowpod.com/ ✨ Where to find your host, Briana: Instagram: @brianaaugustina Substack: https://brianaaugustina.substack.com/ Website: https://www.brianaaugustina.com/ 🎬 In this episode: 00:00 The Only Plaster Shop In SF 01:09 Meet Lorna Kollmeyer 02:20 From Basketball To San Francisco 06:34 Meeting Peter And Helaine 10:21 The Business Falls Into Her Lap 11:36 What Ornamental Plaster Is 13:53 Learning On The Job 14:51 The Majestic Hotel Bid 18:12 The Twenty-Thousand-Dollar Gamble 19:27 An Angel On Her Shoulder 21:05 Landing At Hunters Point 23:58 Too Dumb To Say No 27:21 Inside The Process 29:43 How A Mold Is Made 31:13 A Custodian Of The City's History 34:53 Gutting And Restoring Victorians 44:23 The Business Of Ornamental Plaster 47:04 The Last Plaster Shop In SF 48:36 Fighting To Stay At The Shipyard 51:15 Keeping The Trade Alive 52:24 Where Technology Meets Plaster 56:57 The Lightning Round 58:45 Advice For Getting Started 1:02:18 One Thing To Take Away

    15. THE LAST PLASTER SHOP: Ornamental Plasterer Lorna Kollmeyer on preserving Victorian San Francisco, the business of a rare trade, and becoming a living archive

  2. Jul 2

    14. EVERY STITCH HAS A PURPOSE: Hermès-Trained Leather Artisan Béatrice Amblard on bespoke craftsmanship and reviving American leatherwork

    In this episode of The Trades Show, host Briana Ottoboni sits down with Béatrice Amblard, the only Hermès-trained leather artisan in the US working under her own label and the founder of April in Paris and Heirloom Leathercraft, inside her San Francisco atelier. Their conversation traces nearly five decades in leather — from the moment a sixteen-year-old Béatrice, steered toward the trades by a French school system that didn't know what to do with her dyslexia, walked into a leather classroom and felt every one of her senses wake up — the scent of wax and hide, the benches worn smooth by generations of students — to the four years at Hermès that shaped her, where she learned that quality is non-negotiable and that every stitch has a purpose. Béatrice shares the philosophy behind her bespoke work — that real luxury is quiet, singular, and made to be kept and passed down — and walks through the arc of her career: leaving Hermès in 1988 to start April in Paris with nothing, building a one-of-a-kind custom accessories practice, and being pushed into teaching by students who would not take no for an answer, a leap that became Heirloom Leathercraft, the only formal school of its kind in the country, where she has trained more than a thousand people in fourteen years. She is candid about the realities behind the romance — the tanneries that have all but vanished, the quality of leather slipping as mass production took hold, the physical toll that has her working fewer days, the guilt of burning a piece that did not meet the mark — and genuinely hopeful about where craft and technology meet, how AI can help a maker launch a business and how the fast-paced tech world keeps sending her students hungry for something they can make with their hands. Whether you are a maker, a small-business builder, or someone craving a creative outlet beyond the screen, this episode is a masterclass in building a bespoke business without compromising on quality, preserving a trade by teaching it, and finding a whole life inside the work. The Trades Show is an interview series on location with modern artisans exploring what it means to be human: the ability to create with our hands. 👜 Where to find Béatrice Amblard:April in Paris: https://www.aprilinparis.us/Heirloom Leathercraft: https://heirloomleathercraft.com/Instagram: @aprilinparis_sfInstagram: @heirloomleathercraft ⚒️ Where to find The Trades Show:Instagram: @tradesshowTikTok: @tradesshowYouTube: @tradesshowSubstack: Trade SecretsWebsite: https://www.thetradesshowpod.com/ ✨ Where to find your host, Briana:Instagram: @brianaaugustinaSubstack: https://brianaaugustina.substack.com/Website: https://www.brianaaugustina.com/ 🎬 In this episode:00:00 Season Setup In SF00:37 Meet Béatrice Amblard02:15 Describing The Craft02:52 From Paris To Hermès05:06 Starting April In Paris06:31 Falling In Love With Leather08:19 The Senses Of The Trade10:40 How The Industry Changed11:53 Luxury Is Quiet12:41 The Vanishing Tanneries15:15 Leather And A Sustainable Ecosystem20:35 The Trade School Stigma23:13 Every Stitch Has A Purpose28:49 Taking The Leap Into Teaching32:32 A Renewed Interest In Craft36:32 Training Her Daughter40:18 How AI Can Support The Craft44:30 Don't Give Up46:53 One Takeaway: Be Happy

    14. EVERY STITCH HAS A PURPOSE: Hermès-Trained Leather Artisan Béatrice Amblard on bespoke craftsmanship and reviving American leatherwork

  3. Jun 11

    13. THE FLORIST'S FLORIST: Studio Mondine's Amanda Luu on Ikebana, preserving a 600-year-old craft, intimacy with nature, and a tech-forward studio

    In this episode of The Trades Show, host Briana Ottoboni sits down with Amanda Luu, florist, founder of Studio Mondine, and a lifelong student of Ikenobo Ikebana, inside her San Francisco home. Their conversation traces Amanda's circuitous path into flowers — from a degree in economics and environmental policy and a career in marketing, to the ten-minute commutes she spent gathering leaves and grasses from parking lots, to the apprenticeships she took on for $11 an hour to learn the craft hands-on, the way a cook stages in a kitchen. Amanda shares the quiet "portal" winter after she quit her job at the end of wedding season, where working with dead branches and gleaned material pushed her toward the minimalist forms that became her signature and eventually led her to formal Ikebana study — the 600-year-old Japanese practice whose oldest school she now trains in, learning to express the life force of a single stem and to read an arrangement as a landscape. She's candid about what it takes to keep a tradition alive when the average practitioner in the West is 72, and about the wordless correction of a teacher whose lineage runs back centuries, passed down through the kanji characters in a student's name. And in a turn you might not expect from a craft this old, Amanda makes the case for being a tech-forward flower studio — running a logistics business underwritten by data and flower "recipes," and rendering arrangements that don't yet exist in Canva and Gemini so a wild idea can be tested in the room before a single stem is sourced. Whether you're a florist, a maker drawn to slow practice, or someone curious how a centuries-old art stays alive in the age of AI, this episode is a masterclass in finding your own voice in a craft, building a studio that lasts, and cultivating an intimacy with nature that feeds everything else. The Trades Show is an interview series on location with modern artisans exploring what it means to be human: the ability to create with our hands. 💐 Where to find Amanda Luu and Studio Mondine: Website: https://www.studiomondine.com/ Instagram: @studiomondine Substack: Mondine After Dark ⚒️ Where to find The Trades Show: Instagram: @tradesshow TikTok: @tradesshow YouTube: @tradesshow Substack: Trade Secrets Website: https://www.thetradesshowpod.com/ ✨ Where to find your host, Briana: Instagram: @brianaaugustina Substack: https://brianaaugustina.substack.com/ Website: https://www.brianaaugustina.com/ 🎬 In this episode: 00:00 Season Setup in SF 01:00 Meet Amanda Luu 02:43 From Economics to Flowers 03:30 Magpie Gathering on the Commute 04:30 Apprenticing for Free 06:00 Balancing Two Careers 08:30 Quitting at Wedding Season's End 11:00 Finding Form in the Quiet Season 13:00 What Is Ikebana 15:00 Flowers Hold Time 21:00 Finding a Teacher 23:00 The Wordless Correction and Lineage 25:00 Preserving a 600-Year-Old Tradition 27:00 A Tech-Forward Flower Studio 31:00 Rendering Arrangements with AI 34:00 Flowers as Storytelling 37:00 The Language of Flowers 42:00 The Florist's Florist 43:30 Advice for Early-Stage Florists 46:00 Quick Round: Technology and Flowers 49:00 One Thing to Take Away 50:00 Where to Find Studio Mondine

    13. THE FLORIST'S FLORIST: Studio Mondine's Amanda Luu on Ikebana, preserving a 600-year-old craft, intimacy with nature, and a tech-forward studio

  4. May 28

    12. ANTIQUES FROM THE FUTURE: Architectural Blacksmith Jefferson Mack on a 50-year career, the art of selling, and reviving the American craftsman

    In this episode of The Trades Show, host Briana Ottoboni sits down with Jefferson Mack, a self-taught architectural blacksmith with a 50-year career, inside his San Francisco workshop. Their conversation spans nearly five decades of making — from the Eric Sloane book that planted the seed when Jefferson was a child, to a self-taught path that wound through scrap-yard forges in his mother's backyard, lighting work on rock 'n' roll tours, and a construction career that finally cracked open the leap into full-time blacksmithing. Jefferson shares the philosophy behind his signature work — what he calls "antiques from the future," forms that fuse traditional hammered texture with contemporary tension — and walks through the milestones that built his career: the four-page Restoration Hardware spread that brought him a moment of national visibility, the demonstration nights he modeled after Dale Chihuly to teach architects what blacksmithing could be, the staircases that took seven and eight years to land, and the slow, hard-won art of selling a craft most people don't realize they need. He's candid about the toll of the work — the muscle memory it takes to feel hot steel through a hammer, the seven-year apprenticeship windows that no longer exist, the cost of making at 71 — and where the trade is going as the next generation finds its way in through maker spaces, welding kits, and YouTube. Whether you're a maker, a builder, or someone trying to figure out how to sustain a creative business over the long arc, this episode is a masterclass in self-taught mastery, pricing handmade work, declaring yourself in a craft no one else is pursuing, and what it actually takes to last 50 years. The Trades Show is an interview series on location with modern artisans exploring what it means to be human: the ability to create with our hands. 🔥 Where to find Jefferson Mack: Website: https://www.mackmetal.com/ Instagram: @mack.jefferson ⚒️ Where to find The Trades Show: Instagram: @tradesshow TikTok: @tradesshow YouTube: @tradesshow Substack: Trade Secrets Website: https://www.thetradesshowpod.com/ ✨ Where to find your host, Briana: Instagram: @brianaaugustina Substack: https://brianaaugustina.substack.com/ Website: https://www.brianaaugustina.com/ 🎬 In this episode: 00:00 Season Setup In SF 01:50 Meet Jefferson Mack 03:37 Origins Of A Blacksmith 11:18 Taking The Leap 17:36 Selling And Apprenticeships 30:55 Learning Paths Today 31:44 Maker Spaces and Welding 33:19 Restoration Hardware Breakthrough 42:36 Pricing Handmade Work 59:16 Finish and Produce

    12. ANTIQUES FROM THE FUTURE: Architectural Blacksmith Jefferson Mack on a 50-year career, the art of selling, and reviving the American craftsman

  5. Apr 23

    11. ART OF THE RESTAURANT: James Beard Award-Winning Chef Stuart Brioza on the craft of cooking

    In this episode of The Trades Show, host Briana Ottoboni sits down with Stuart Brioza, James Beard Award-winning chef and co-owner of State Bird Provisions, The Progress, and The Anchovy Bar, inside The Progress restaurant in San Francisco. Their conversation traces Stuart's path from dishwasher at fifteen to leading three of the city's most celebrated restaurants — and explores what it means to define California cuisine in a time when every ingredient imaginable shows up at the farmers market. Stuart shares the origin story of State Bird's small plates revolution, the handmade design philosophy that built The Progress (down to every chair, table, and piece of pottery), and why he opened The Anchovy Bar to celebrate a two-hour-out-of-water local fish that nobody else pays attention to. They talk about discovery versus innovation, the good-better-best mindset that drives his cooking, and why restaurants are one of the last places that require active human participation. Whether you're a cook, a craft-curious diner, or someone trying to figure out how to stay creative without burning out, this episode is a masterclass in leading with patience, building for longevity, and cooking with all five senses.The Trades Show is an interview series on location with modern artisans exploring what it means to be human: the ability to create with our hands.🔥 Where to find Stuart Brioza:Atomic Restaurant Group: https://atomic-workshop.com/Stuart Brioza IG: https://www.instagram.com/atomicstew/State Bird Provisions: https://www.statebirdsf.com/The Progress: https://theprogress-sf.com/home/The Anchovy Bar: https://www.theanchovybar.com/⚒️ Where to find The Trades Show:Instagram: @tradesshow (https://www.instagram.com/tradesshow/)TikTok: @tradesshow (https://www.tiktok.com/@tradesshow)YouTube: ‪@tradesshow‬ (https://www.youtube.com/@tradesshow)Substack: Trade Secrets (https://revivethetrades.substack.com/)Website: https://www.thetradesshowpod.com/✨ Where to find your host, Briana:Instagram: @brianaaugustina ( / brianaaugustina )Substack: https://brianaaugustina.substack.com/Website: https://www.brianaaugustina.com/🎬 In this episode:00:00 Welcome to The Trades Show00:36 Meet Chef Stuart Brioza01:45 Cooking as a Sensory Craft02:38 Leading Three Restaurants04:19 State Bird Small Plates06:38 The Progress Handmade Design09:30 Good Better Best Mindset12:20 Defining California Cuisine15:11 Anchovy Bar Local Mission20:14 From Dishwasher to Chef26:32 Landing First Kitchen Job28:14 Learning Through Mistakes29:53 How Cooking Culture Changed30:20 Social Media and Dish Lineage34:04 Discovery Becomes Innovation38:10 Boredom as Creative Fuel41:55 Restaurants as Human Refuge44:32 Innovating Without Burnout48:53 Tech Wins and Losses50:16 Simplicity and Career Advice51:40 Craftspeople for Life53:57 Closing Thanks and Outro

    11. ART OF THE RESTAURANT: James Beard Award-Winning Chef Stuart Brioza on the craft of cooking

  6. Apr 2

    10. Artisan Crafts in the Age of AI with Host Briana Ottoboni

    Host Briana Ottoboni introduces season two of The Trades Show, filmed on location with artisans in San Francisco, and explains why the rise of AI and the return to analog craftsmanship are happening at the same time. She shares her Bay Area background, her first encounter with shoe cobbling that sparked her passion for artisan trades, and her concern about who carries these crafts forward as older generations retire. Briana defines artisan trades as the intersection of fine arts and skilled trades—uniting creativity, aesthetic rigor, technique, and tradition—and recounts how a window of “creative spaciousness” led her to create a high-production “show,” with season one serving as a 10-episode pilot. She outlines a city-by-city vision, season two’s biweekly Thursday release schedule, and the broader ecosystem she’s building, including The Corral artisan jobs board that uses technology and AI to make artisan work more visible, viable, and valued. In this episode, you’ll hear: Briana’s intro into the artisan trades and shoe cobblingThe Why behind The Trades ShowWhy now in the age of AI is the perfect time to revive the artisan tradesHer vision for the showWhat you can expect for Season 2 and beyond 👩🏻‍🎨 Where to find Briana Ottoboni: Follow on Instagram: @brianaaugustina Follow on LinkedIn: @brianaottoboni 🛠️ Where to find The Trades Show:Follow on Instagram: @tradesshowFollow on TikTok: @tradesshowSubscribe on YouTube: @tradesshowRead the Substack: https://revivethetrades.substack.comVisit the website: thetradesshowpod.com 🎙️Credits:Host & Creator – Briana OttoboniCreative Direction, Filming & Editing – Briana OttoboniOriginal Theme Music – Federico Wanzo, Skane Music 📺 In this episode: 00:00 AI Meets Craft01:01 Season Two Kickoff01:39 Cobbler Spark03:03 Why Trades Matter04:55 Learning In Portland06:01 Birth Of The Show08:50 Season One Lessons09:28 San Francisco Backdrop11:29 Humanity In Imperfection12:59 Mission And Pathways15:53 Release Schedule16:23 The Corral Jobs Board17:59 Wrap Up And Subscribe18:47 Outro Credits

    10. Artisan Crafts in the Age of AI with Host Briana Ottoboni

  7. Season 2, Episode 1 Trailer

    Season 2: Official Trailer

    Meet the artisans keeping craft alive in the age of AI. Season 2 of The Trades Show takes you inside the workshops of San Francisco's most skilled tradespeople — from bladesmiths to chefs — exploring why handcraft matters more than ever. New episodes coming soon. Follow The Trades Show for stories of mastery, tradition, and the human hands shaping our world. #TheTrades #Artisan #SkilledTrades #Handcraft #Craftsmanship #SanFrancisco #TradesShow #ArtisanEconomy #MadeByHand

    Season 2: Official Trailer

  8. 12/19/2025

    9. MOMENTS OF MAGIC: Candlemaker Sarah Larson on the art of fragrance and the power of saying no

    In this episode of The Trades Show, host Briana Ottoboni sits down with Sarah Larson, founder of Often Wander, inside Sarah's studio, which is also set to become a storefront. They discuss the nuances of crafting scents through candle making, the journey from managing two retail stores to focusing on e-commerce, and the struggles and rewards of saying no to misaligned opportunities. Sarah shares her origin story, which includes moments of manifestation and serendipity, and how she has navigated her business through significant changes, including the impact of COVID-19. The episode dives into the creative process, the importance of thinking small, and how setting boundaries can lead to sustainable success. Tune in to learn about Sarah’s unique journey, her approach to maintaining creativity, and her vision for the future of Often Wander. The Trades Show is a show about modern craftwork — a conversation series with artisans and a return to what makes us human: the ability to create with our hands. 🕯️ Where to find Sarah Larson:https://oftenwander.com/  / oftenwander  ⚒️ Where to find The Trades Show:Instagram: @tradesshow (  / tradesshow   )TikTok: @tradesshow (  / tradesshow  )YouTube: ‪@tradesshow‬ Substack: Trade Secrets (https://revivethetrades.substack.com/)Website: https://www.thetradesshow.co/✨ Where to find your host, Briana:Instagram: @brianaaugustina (  / brianaaugustina  )Substack: https://brianaaugustina.substack.com/Website: https://www.brianaaugustina.com/🎬 In this episode:00:00 Manifestation and the Birth of Often Wander00:16 Welcome to The Trades Show01:25 Introducing Sarah Larson of Often Wander02:22 The Origin Story of Often Wander05:44 The Journey to San Francisco08:38 Navigating Challenges and Growth09:49 Adapting to a Post-COVID World11:52 Embracing a Smaller, Sustainable Business Model17:16 Exploring New Creative Avenues22:17 Exploring Candle Making Techniques22:57 Creating Scents Inspired by Nature24:35 The Art and Science of Candle Making28:10 Future Plans for Often Wander30:14 Balancing Creativity and Business32:43 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs39:19 Upcoming Projects and Where to Find Often Wander41:22 Conclusion and How to Support the Show

    9. MOMENTS OF MAGIC: Candlemaker Sarah Larson on the art of fragrance and the power of saying no
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About

The Trades Show with Briana Ottoboni is an interview series with modern artisans, on location inside their workshops. Each season is anchored in a city. Season 2 is filmed in San Francisco — the global epicenter of artificial intelligence, and quietly, one of the most vibrant craft communities in the country. On this season, you'll meet artisans from bladesmiths to chefs to surfboard craftsmen.

Information

  • Creator
    Briana Ottoboni
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Briana Ottoboni
  • Show Website
    The Trades Show